UPS for MAC Pro?

I will be purchasing a MAC Pro as soon as the release of Leopard comes out, so I am currently focusing on all the software and hardware that I want to get for my new MAC. I am currently a PC user and I have seen the light. I have been converted.

I have been looking at a Belkin UPS to use with the MAC Pro but from the tech specs I noticed that the MAC Pro has a max rating of 6A on 240V (what we have here in the Aus & in the UK). That's 1440watts. I can't seem to find a UPS that is that big, besides massive cabinets used in the corp. world.

I'd go for something like I used to use for my server: two 12v deep- cycle gel batterries of the maritime / emergency-services vehicle persuasion (car/truck batteries, but with substantially deeper Amperes and without the hazards of liquids) sealed in a small steel cabinet about two by one by one (h x w x d) feet, which also contained the rectifier and surge protection, and analog dials for current voltage and amperage readouts. Any recreational vehicle shop or battery- rebuilder can run one of these up from available stock; mine cost about one hundred and fifty dollars (US), and provided about 7 hours reserve power to my Proliant 3000, which only drew 700W max, about 1/2 the max wattage of your Mac Pro. This cost the same as the then (6 years ago) cheapest APC capable of supporting the Proliant's load, but provided several times that APC's power reserve and had a longer life- cycle, to boot. Mind, it wasn't light, at about 70 pounds! Don't forget to have the shop include ventilation louvers, as while the system does not generate much heat normally, the batteries will last longer if they are close to room temperature, and the heat generated when the system is active (power main down) is considerable. Mine supported that server through many winter ice-storms without flaw.

The 6 A rating is a maximum startup surge rating. There should be a maximum power supply wattage rating, this is more like what you need. But even this is going to be overkill as you are unlikely to ever pull that much power continuously.

A 500 VA UPS will probably work just fine for you. What is just as important is how long the UPS will power your system but that can be hard to get info on.

A 500 VA UPS will probably work just fine for you. What is just as important is how long the UPS will power your system but that can be hard to get info on.

In my experience most blackouts are just brownouts and anything keeping the system up for 15 secs is perfect. If it's more than that then it could easily be much-much longer anyway and then nothing helps. All my computers are on UPSs and the system works, almost perfectly.

BTW, the batteries cost a fortune and they last only about 4 years [APC].

But when you do have a black out you need a UPS that will hold it up long enough for you to get to the computer (after finding a flashlight and tending to whatever else needs doing then) and close out whatever needs doing then shutdown.